


fortified

by chuutoku



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: F/M, Gen, Poetry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-07
Updated: 2013-01-07
Packaged: 2017-11-24 01:46:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/628919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chuutoku/pseuds/chuutoku
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A poem in the style of ee cummings about Kyoko, Haru, their friendship, and their relationship to Tsuna.</p>
            </blockquote>





	fortified

circulartakeawaybox set up in the center of the room  
She  
pops a roll into her mouth, d(ain’t)y  
she swi~ings! her legs up&down, g i ggles  
“i couldn’t, i can’t, i -- hahaha~ah!”  
  
“see? it’s delicious,”  
Kyoko  
says&(wide eyes)haru counters:  
“i hadn’t thought rawfish would be so Soft. . ... . . ..”  
  
a de(li)cat(e) smile.  
“You have more experience with that than i do, don’t you?”  
“  
Kyoko  
?”  
“You know --  
  
haru notices:  
Her  
hair’s getting longer,  
She  
’s growing  
Her  
bangs out  
  
“You know --  
  
haru thinks:  
She  
doesn’t listen to those bands anymore, it’s not because some broke up or became less popular  
  
“oh, why am i having so much trouble with this? i’m sorry, Haru, it’s just --  
  
haru watches:  
Kyoko  
worry a kappamaki, spread  
Her  
fingers wide and inspect the cuticles  
  
“Tsuna.”  
  
haru’s right:  
Kyoko  
glances up, pu(r)es(u)rpri(se)  
“how did You  
\-- ? --  
because we have the same problem.”  
  
  
  
carefully, now:  
“how...wouldYou...ar...ticulate it?”  
  
“hm.  
  
Kyoko  
notices: she styles herself like the bigger stars nowadays and (yesterday) leafs (half an hour ago) through salon magazines  
  
“He cuts himself into sections,  
You  
know?  
You  
do know!  
You  
were going to say it  
Yourself  
, and  
  
Kyoko  
thinks: she must have liked its texture, she eats a lot&slow  
  
“it’s hard for us, when  
we only get to taste alittlepart.”  
  
Kyoko  
closes  
Her  
eyes.  
  
“but Haru  
(‘s wrong, _how howdoisayi_ T _wit_ H _outsayingit howcanw_ E _staystrong_  
 _howcan_ I _keepa_ LL _of_ U _sclo_ S _e how how muchcan_ I _keepinmym_ O _uthi_ N  
 _mysel_ FIN)  
  
  
He’s never Soft with me.”

**Author's Note:**

> An explanation: I envisioned them having a sleepover! But, uh, poems like this don't really lend themselves to constructing specific settings, so it's more of a vague suggestion than anything else. The general gist of this poem goes back to the idea of "rawfish;" that is to say, uncooked T(s)una. I've always thought Kyoko knows how Tsuna feels about her but pretends not to; this goes hand-in-hand with her mist flame, which is reiterated throughout the poem in parentheses. ("Lie" found in "delicate," for example.) That's another reason why, whenever Kyoko isn't speaking, her name (or any pronouns related to her) are capitalized and set apart -- that's how Tsuna sees her. Compare this with Haru, who gets no capitalization, no special isolation, etc.; she's just another girl. More is revealed in their speech: Both capitalize each other, indicating respect; neither capitalize "I"s, indicating they're humble (unfortunately, Amano's girls are almost exclusively deferential); Haru recognizes Kyoko's importance (she capitalizes her and sets her apart), etc., and though that's no secret to Kyoko, she keeps her ruse (found in "puresurprise"). This poem takes place probably when they're around 17? Hence the changes both notice the other going through. "Soft" is capitalized so as to mark the parallel between rawfish and that trait more clearly; what Kyoko means with the last line is that Tsuna, because he loves her like he does and has since the beginning of their friendship, has never been fully himself with her (uncooked; cooked tuna has a tauter texture). Thus the illusion (found in Kyoko's train of thought) is broken (fin) when Kyoko counters Haru's analysis: It's not that they taste different parts, it's that Tsuna presents himself to them differently (raw v. cooked). The end! Hopefully that made sense but, um, feel free to ask questions or interpret it in any other way you like. That's what I love about ee cummings's poems; they're puzzles.


End file.
